This annual was another instance where Marvel, having cancelled the regular magazine, gave a title one last hurrah by releasing an annual or special edition featuring some of the best material it had run in the regular series. *sigh*After the ehhh cover by Ken Bald, we have a letters page telling us that is in fact the final Monsters Unleashed! (see *sigh*, above), and then we have:
"The Cold of the Uncaring Moon" by Steve Skeates, George Tuska, and Klaus Janson--who actually make a pretty fine pair
a "They Might Be Monsters" segment by Tony Isabella and Pablo Marcos
"World of Warlocks!" by Gardner Fox, Roy Thomas, and Gene Colan, a solid tale of another dimension that needs a hero, and takes one from the rice paddies of Vietnam! As usual, Colan delivers the goods.
"Lifeboat!" by Gerry Conway and Jesus Blasco, which improbably works a monster into the story set totally in the title object
"Demon of Slaughter Mansion!" by Don McGregor and Juan Boix
the classic "Birthright!" by Thomas, Gil Kane, and the Crusty Bunkers
"To Love, Honor, and Cherish..." by Chris Claremont and Don Perlin
the Man-Thing in "All The Faces of Fear!" by Isabella and Alcazar
and then finally two one-page features, "Thunderbird", and "Monsters From The Sea", both by Isabella and Ernie Chua
...there is a lot of great stuff here, and if Monsters Unleashed! had to go, at least they were allowed one last curtain bow.
6 comments:
I never bought the annuals of any of Marvel's magazines, simply because a cursory glance revealed them to be reprints of material that was, frankly, not all that old. It wasn't like they had a reservoir of years and hundreds of stories like Warren. Now, in a weirdly nostalgic way, I wish I had purchased them new, if only to satisfy my completist nature.
Holy Crap!
That cover - HAS to be an illo to accompany the Val Mayerick illustrated story "Curse of Anubis" that appeared in Marvel Preview #8! I don't have Monsters Unleashed Annual #1, are you saying Curse of Anubis isn't in there, even though the cover illo for it is used? That's weird!
Chris Sequeira
(chrissequeira@optusnet.com.au)
BTW Love your site!
chris-
thanks!
nope, "Anubis" isnt in there...odd, isnt it?
Yeah...odd. I would have sought this mag out but now I know the cool Anubis story won't be there.
Is this one any good I wonder?
-----------Mikey D.
Rob,
Thanks for the response. OK, well, I still like that damn cover so I guess if I run across this issue at a con I'll be buying it anyway!
Chris Sequeira
(chrissequeira@optusnet.com.au)
I bought one off Ebay anyhoo.
Great stories ! Great art ! A fantastic addition for anyones collection. 2 count em' 2 barbarian stories and one by the great Gil Kane!!!!
Mikey D.
Post a Comment